The Boy with the Old Guitar

By John Loveday

John chose the title-poem for its simple, believable story. The rest accrued in the usual way. He found those now grouped in City of Flowers particularly moving to write.

John’s visits to Italy, and the many Italian stories he heard in Florence, influenced him permanently. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Oct 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781803133775

John Loveday

John Loveday, a former teacher, was born in 1926. His novel Halo (Fourth Estate) won the McKitterick and the David Higham prizes, and was published internationally, as was Goodbye, Buffalo Sky (Bloomsbury), which won Best Children’s Book Award. Adding to his published poetry, and painting in oils, are remaining interests.

Book preview

Contents

THE BOY WITH THE OLD GUITAR

HENRY MOORE FETCHES APPLES

RACHEL SITS

BETTY DROWNING

THE BOY LOOKED OUT

WHEN THE OTHERS HAD GONE

BOY WAITING

NIGHT TRAIN

MARINA

THE ROCKING-HORSE’S TAIL

IN SULHAM WOODS (c.1986)

CHILD IN SUNLIGHT

ME AND YOU

THE MAN FROM THE WAR

MAKE MY DAY

WHERE BILLY WAS

TINKER, TAILOR

SNOW

LANDSCAPE

ROY

THE FOREST HAS DANGERS

THE BOATMAN’S STORY

PLAY THIS AGAIN, LOVE

NOTHING STAYS SPECIAL

A FLAME IN FIESOLE

BLUE BAR GARDEN, FIESOLE

MEMO

THE END

CITY OF FLOWERS

INTERIOR, FLORENCE

THE FLOWER BOX

THE PEEKING SISTER

THE BOY WITH THE OLD GUITAR

They left him out from all they did −

Not meaning to, careless of hurt,

His wide, sad eyes, that watched the fun,

Left on the edge, not in with them −

Aside always, a boy apart.

A lady found an old guitar,

Gave it to him. He bent his neck,

Looked down and strummed. It sounded weird,

They fell about, but